Prior methods for repairing damaged portions of pipelines include moving a liner tube impregnated with a liquid material capable of curing and hardening to a position within the pipe where the damaged portion is located. The liner tube is installed by pulling, pushing, or everting the liner into the host pipe. Once the liner is positioned within the host pipe, it is pressurized, usually by an inflation bladder, causing the liner to press against the interior wall of the host pipe, and the liner is cured by applying heat, such as steam or hot water. These liners can also be cured at ambient temperatures by chemical mixtures that generate an exothermic reaction, the use of ultraviolet light or other photocuring initiators, or by electron beam curing. The liner tube forms an interior liner in the pipe for the pipeline being repaired. One such process is known as cured-in-place pipelining.
In most pipelines, lateral or branch pipes are connected to main pipes. In sewer systems, the connection of a lateral pipe to a main sewer pipe is accomplished by forming a hole in the main line with a hammer. The lateral pipe is then simply abutted against the hole, and then the juncture is covered with mortar, dirt, or the like. Damage or leaking can occur at the junction between the lateral pipe and the main pipe, which is generally known as one of the weakest points in a collection sewer system. T-shaped or Y-shaped liner tubes have been utilized to fit within the junction between the lateral and main pipes. Liner tubes form a T-shaped or Y-shaped liner after hardening to the interior of the junction between the pipes. Again, inflation bladders are typically used to pressurize the liners against the interior walls of the host pipes.
The liner tubes are often impregnated with a resinous material, which cures and hardens with the addition of either heat or an independent exothermic reaction. At the main and lateral junction, however, the damaged areas often allow the leakage of water. The junction is located at the lowest spot underground of the lateral pipe. Therefore, it is only natural for the water to flow to the area around the junction of the main and lateral pipe. Water tends to seep through the fractures and joints of the junction, and will interact with the resin impregnated liner, and in turn, the liner may not be able to cure to fully repair the junction.
The repair of the pipes and pipe junctions is therefore a necessity. The repairs are oftentimes performed in a large scale, such as for an entire neighborhood or even city. The number of assemblies used to repair the pipes is great. However, as the lateral pipes extend to specific buildings or addresses, it may become difficult to track when the pipe was repaired, and whether there were any special circumstances (increased resin, obstructions, special environment conditions, etc.) in repairing the pipe. Labels can be added to the repaired walls designating the repair, but these labels will fade over time, or may even be detached from the wall.
In addition, many resins used to repair the pipes require heat or some other accelerant to decrease the curing time for the resins. Steam or hot water is oftentimes used to expand the bladder, which in terms creates the exothermic reaction to aid in curing the resin to repair the pipe wall. However, the temperature required for the exothermic reaction is vital, and it is necessary to maintain the temperature for the entire curing period. It is advantageous to be able to continuously measure the temperature within the pipe so that adjustments can be made, if necessary, to make sure that the temperature maintains within the range needed to cure the resin.
Other measurements and data may also be useful. For example, as the bladder exerts a pressure during the expansion of the liner, the amount of pressure within the liner assembly can be used to determine if the proper amount of pressure is being applied. Furthermore, once the pipe has been repaired, it may be advantageous to ensure that there are no obstructions, and that the flow through the pipe has been fully restored. Alternatively, it may be advantageous to measure pipe deflection or the load(s) bearing on a pipe at a given time to assess the structural integrity of the pipe.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved lining method and apparatus that overcomes the problems resulting from not being able to determine identification properties of a lined pipe. There is also a need in the art for an improved means and method for lining a pipe that allows a repair crew to be able to continuously and easily determine physical characteristics within the pipe.